Vicuña

The vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) or vicugna (both /vɪˈknjə/) is one of two wild South American camelids which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes, the other being the guanaco. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to be the wild ancestor of domesticated alpacas, which are raised for their coats. Vicuñas produce small amounts of extremely fine wool, which is very expensive because the animal can only be shorn every three years, and has to be caught from the wild. When knitted together, the product of the vicuña's wool is very soft and warm. The Inca valued vicuñas highly for their wool, and it was against the law for anyone but royalty to wear vicuña garments.

Both under the rule of the Inca and today, vicuñas have been protected by law, but they were heavily hunted in the intervening period. At the time they were declared endangered in 1974, only about 6,000 animals were left. Today, the vicuña population has recovered to about 350,000, and although conservation organizations have reduced its level of threat classification, they still call for active conservation programs to protect populations from poaching, habitat loss, and other threats.

Vicuña (disambiguation)

The vicuña is a camelid native to South America.

Vicuña may also refer to:

Geography

  • Vicuña, Chile, Chilean commune and city
  • Vicuña, Álava, village in the Basque Country, Spain
  • La Vicuña, village in Argentina
  • Vicuña Mackenna, Argentina, town in Argentina
  • Sierra Vicuña Mackenna, mountain range in Chile
  • People

  • Benjamín Vicuña (born 1978), Chilean actor
  • Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna (1831–1886), Chilean writer, journalist, historian and politician
  • Eladio Vicuña Aránguiz (1911–2008), Chilean Roman Catholic prelate
  • Francisco Ramón Vicuña (1775–1849), Chilean politician
  • Joaquín Vicuña (1786–1857), Chilean politician
  • Laura Vicuña (1891–1904), Chilean child saint
  • Pedro Félix Vicuña (1805–1874), Chilean journalist
  • Soledad Fariña Vicuña (born 1943), Chilean poet
  • Vincentia Maria López y Vicuña (1847–1896), Spanish Roman Catholic saint
  • Podcasts:

    PLAYLIST TIME:

    Vicuna

    by: Nuclear Rabbit

    Brace the line between the loswest calories
    Parkay or butter which would you rather have slide
    Down your tube into the bloated gloop of food
    Where all synthetics secrete as a bubbling crude
    The time has come to toss the ol' churner
    And meet new deamnds for processed butter
    Pleasing the public seems to the be only way
    So lay the res carpet and make way for parkay
    Imitation butter lies behind a glass door
    Dietary predicament that has stood the test of time
    Sniffer dinky dinkle fondue cheese
    Parkay, the savior, will reside on your pancakes




    Latest News for: vicuna

    With a Buoyant Opening, SP–Arte Showcases the Strength of a Self-Sufficient Brazilian Art Market

    New York Observer 03 Apr 2025
    SP–Arte at the Pavilhão Ciccillo Matarazzo opened to VIPs on April 2. Courtesy SP–Arte ... Sign Up For Our Daily Newsletter. Sign Up. Thank you for signing up! ... You can opt out anytime. See all of our newsletters ... Elisa Carollo for Observer ... SEE ALSO ... GUI GOMES.

    Art Basel Hong Kong’s Slow Start Reflects Regional Collectors’ Shifting Tastes

    New York Observer 26 Mar 2025
    Collectors and dealers gather at Art Basel Hong Kong 2025 as the fair opens amid a shifting market and geopolitical uncertainty. Courtesy of Art Basel ... Sign Up For Our Daily Newsletter. Sign Up. Thank you for signing up! ... You can opt out anytime ... SEE ALSO.
    • 1
    ×